The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) has signed an agreement
with the Florida Department of Transportation (DOT) to improve transportation
decisionmaking within the State.

The agreement, signed by ACHP July 3, 2002, was developed by Florida
DOT in consultation with the Federal Highway Administration. It sets forth
principles that guide how Florida DOT will meet future transportation
needs and State goals more efficiently.

Among other initiatives, the principles call for agencies to collaborate
throughout project planning so that technical, environmental, policy,
and program issues can be resolved in a predictable and timely manner.
The principles also require agencies and stakeholders to use current technology
to facilitate early and effective communication.

The agreement fulfills mandates set forth in the Transportation Equity
Act for the 21st Century and in the National Memorandum of Understanding,
which calls for environmental streamlining.

While developing the agreement, Florida DOT coordinated with several
Federal and State agencies, including the Florida State Historic Preservation
Officer, to ensure that the new approach is responsive to the full range
of potential environmental impacts, including impacts to historic properties.

In addition to ACHP and the Federal Highway Administration, other Federal
agencies that endorsed the agreement are the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
the Federal Transit Administration, the National Park Service, the Forest
Service, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Environmental
Protection Agency, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Fish and Wildlife Service,
and the National Marine Fisheries Service.

ACHP, an independent Federal agency, serves as primary policy advisor
to the President and Congress on national historic preservation policy
and promotes the preservation, enhancement, and productive use of our
Nation's historic resources. It oversees an administrative review process
that requires Federal agencies to consider historic properties when planning
projects. ACHP is headquartered in Washington, DC, with an office in Denver,
Colorado.